When the first Assassin's Creed game was released two years ago it received mixed reviews. Proponents applauded the game's solid story and presentation, as well as the superbly crafted free running mechanic that allowed the player to go almost anywhere and climb almost anything. Critics, however, cited the repetitive fighting and mission types as being too significant to overlook. With Assassin's Creed II, the developers at Ubisoft Montreal are looking to right the wrongs that held back the first game and advance the plot of what might be one of the most intriguing stories of this console generation.
You likely wouldn't know it if you just watched someone play for a while, but Assassin's Creed II, like its predecessor, falls into the sci-fi genre. You play as both Desmond Miles in the year 2012 and his ancestor Ezio during the Italian Renaissance. Desmond uses a device called an "animus" to relive important events in the life of Ezio via something called genetic memory. If you can suspend disbelief long enough to get past the shaky science, there is actually a great story that chronicles a millenia-old war between Assassins and Templar Knights.
You will spend the vast majority of your 15 or so hours of playing Assassin's Creed II in the past. Florence, Tuscany, Venice and several other Italian locations have been masterfully recreated for your exploratory pleasure, and you can visit dozens of famous historical landmarks and even some people. I'm sort of a history buff and I just about geeked out when I realized that I was going to be hanging with Leonardo da Vinci for the better part of the game.
During your stay in those Renaissance cities, you will frequently use the climbing and running skills that make up the core gameplay of Assassin's Creed II. It's a real joy to effortlessly scale the side of a massive cathedral or lose a pursuing guard by perfectly executing a series of leaps and grabs in a back alley.
Though the climbing mechanics are fantastic, the other major component of the game, combat, doesn't fare quite as well. Everything works fine when using stealth to sneak around and assassinate targets with your throwing knives or hidden blades, but when an enemy is locked in direct battle with you, engagements often degenerate into a button-mashing bonanza in which you either pound "counter" until you perform a finishing move or "attack" until you chip away at your enemy's health. I defeated several powerful opponents by going in unarmed and using the speed of Ezio's punches to kill them slowly during the course of several minutes when they weren't able to execute a single move. Although it would have been nice to see more improvement in the area of combat, most of your time will be spent running and climbing or assassinating people, so it never becomes too much of a problem.
Assassin's Creed II is a great looking game for the most part. The locations are beautifully crafted and really draw the player into the story. Character models are good but don't live up to the standard set by the environments. There is also occasional screen-tearing that is especially noticeable when looking around from a height. The music and voice acting are top-notch, and the latter really helps keep the plot engaging.
The takeaway: Despite occasionally repetitive combat and graphical hiccups, Assassin's Creed II is a very solid game and a must-buy for fans of the original. If you liked the first game but were disappointed by the lack of mission variety, you can rest assured that the sequel is much improved in that regard and should at least be worth a rental for the compelling story and setting.
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